Soft Cinnamon Rolls

These Quick Soft Cinnamon Rolls are super fluffy and light, and are made with a simple homemade dough. Smother them with the easiest cream cheese icing and devour them! These homemade cinnamon rolls are just as soft, if not softer than our Easy Soft Dinner Rolls and pulling them apart is absolute heaven!

It's actually surprisingly easy to make them, and they taste way better than those store-bought cinnamon rolls. For us, Sunday mornings are all about whipping together a warm, gooey batch of homemade soft cinnamon rolls, topped with a generous coating of cream cheese glaze!

These rolls are right up there on the top of our list of favourite sweet treats, alongside our Best Fudgy Brownies and our Chocolate Chip Cookiesand once you give them a try, you'll know why.

Why this Recipe Works

We won't hesitate to say that these quick soft cinnamon rolls are life changing! They turn out incredibly soft and fluffy every single time, and yes – they're made completely from scratch with a fast rise dough thanks to our special oven proofing method.

Once you give them a try, you won't go back to any other recipe- it's a promise.

If you love cinnamon-sugar inspired recipes, also check out our Cinnamon Star Bread which is good to feature on your table when you're hosting.

What Goes into this Recipe

• Yeast: Use instant yeast or quick rise yeast for best results.
• Butter: Melted butter, for the icing, filling and the yeast.
• Sugar: You'll need granulated sugar (for the yeast), powdered sugar (for the icing) and brown sugar (for the filling).
• Egg: To lend the cinnamon rolls that structure and lots of richness.
• Flour: Just your regular all purpose flour.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon, for the filling.
• Cream cheese: For that rich, irresistible icing.
• Vanilla: For the sweet aroma.
• Milk: For the icing and a little to help the yeast bloom.
• Cooking oil spray: To grease the bowl.

Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements

Substitutions & Variations

• You can use any kind of milk here, but we would recommend using whole milk to get that rich, creamy flavor.
• If you have high protein flour or bread flour, try using it instead of all purpose flour to get even softer cinnamon rolls.
• For a deeper flavor, use dark brown sugar for the cinnamon sugar mixture.

On the stove

1. Warm the Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°F (100°C). This gentle heat will help the dough rise later. Once heated, turn it off but keep the oven warm inside.

1. Activate Yeast: In a bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes, until it becomes foamy and fragrant.

1. Make the Dough: Add the whisked egg, flour, and salt to the milk mixture. Mix until a soft, sticky dough forms. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes, adding flour only as needed.

1. Let Dough Rise: Grease a bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough inside, turning it once to coat. Cover with a damp towel and place in the oven. Let rise for 30 minutes, then punch and rest another 30 minutes until doubled.

1. Shape: Roll dough on a floured surface into a 19×13-inch rectangle. Brush with butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and rub the mixture in.

1. Roll and Slice: Starting from a long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log and pinch the seam to seal. Trim uneven edges and cut into 12–15 even rolls.

1. Second Rise and Bake: Arrange rolls in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Uncover and bake for 25 minutes.

1. Make the Icing: While baking, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat again until creamy. Spread icing over warm rolls before serving.

Enjoy these quick soft cinnamon rolls on their own as a sweet treat whenever you want to, or make them a part of a breakfast spread when you're entertaining. We love teaming them up with our Dalgona Whipped Coffeea hearty Breakfast Casserole with Bacon or Sausage and some easy Egg Muffins.

Recipe FAQ's

If your cinnamon roll dough isn't rising enough, it could be because the yeast isn't active or fresh enough. Make sure you use fresh instant yeast for this recipe for the most soft, light and fluffy rolls.

To test if the yeast is fresh and active, check the date on the package or look for bubbles and frothiness when you let it bloom.

You can! If you're sensitive to dairy, try using a plant based milk like almond milk as a swap, and use coconut oil as a replacement for butter in the recipe. And of course, skip the cream cheese icing and just use some vegan frosting instead.

Watch It Made

What you need

• 1 cup milk warmed to the touch, NOT HOT – temp at 110°F or 45°C
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2-1/2 teaspoons quick-rise yeast or look for instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 large egg lightly whisked
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose or plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 spray cooking oil spray
• 3/4 cup brown sugar loosely packed
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 2 tablespoon butter melted
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Method

1. Heat oven to 200°F (100°C).
2. Combine the warm milk together with the melted butter, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Allow to stand for 10 minutes, until frothy.
3. Add the whisked egg to the milk mixture. Add in EXACTLY 3 1/2 cups flour and salt, and mix until a soft dough forms (the dough will be sticky). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes kneading), occasionally rolling into the flour on your bench top to prevent the dough sticking to your fingers.
4. Lightly coat a large bowl with cooking oil spray and transfer the ball of dough to the bowl, turning once to coat in the oil. Cover with a damp towel. TURN OVEN OFF and transfer bowl of dough to the warm oven. Allow to rise for 30 minutes. (To check if dough is ready, gently press two fingers into dough. If an indentation remains, dough has not risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest for an additional 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface, into a 19-inch x 13–inch rectangle. Brush the melted butter over the dough and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon. Gently rub the cinnamon mixture into the butter. Beginning at one long side, roll up dough tightly like a jelly-roll; then gently pinch the seam down to seal. Trim the ends for even slices, and cut dough into 12 or 15 slices.
6. Arrange the rolls in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover with the damp towel and allow to rise for a further 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
7. While rising, preheat oven to 175°C | 350°F.
8. Uncover rolls; bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool slightly before glazing.
9. Prepare icing while rolls are baking. Beat together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla, until smooth and creamy. Beat in the powdered sugar until lump free. Spread icing over rolls. Serve warm.